Attachment for utility tractors and skid steer vehicles

ABSTRACT

An attachment for treating soil-like material and for attachment to a tractor or skid steer vehicle having a frame with inwardly inclined transporting elements for distributing the material being treated.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/498,454 filed Aug. 28, 2003.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an attachment for a prime mover and more particularly to an attachment for a tractor or a skid steer vehicle suitable for shaping, grading and leveling dirt, stone and sand, and for hauling straw, hay, and the like.

2. Description of the Prior Art

The prior art is replete with attachments for tractors and other prime moving equipment wherein the attachments are suitable for achieving limited and well defined functions, such as land leveling, shaping, filling, grading, and hauling. While the prior art attachments function satisfactorily, most of the known equipment is substantially single purpose.

Prior art grading equipment typically includes a tractor, road grader, bulldozer, or front end loader having a single blade mounted to the front end or center of the grading equipment. This equipment may include different sized blades extending in various configurations. However, their applications have been limited and the range of motion of the blades are generally restricted. The prior art grading equipment utilizing only a single blade requires multiple passes of the grader over an area to be graded. This results in wasted time, increased wear and tear on the equipment, and operator fatigue.

It is an object of the present invention to produce an attachment for a tractor or a skid steer prime mover capable of spreading, leveling, sloping, shaping, filling, and/or grading dirt, stone, sand or other soil-like granular materials.

Another object of the invention is to produce an attachment for a tractor or a skid steer vehicle capable of selectively spreading, leveling, sloping, shaping, or grading dirt, stone, sand, and other soil-like material as well as hauling bulk materials such as bales of hay, straw, or other bulk materials

Still another object of the present invention is to produce an attachment for a tractor or skid steer vehicle capable of increased efficiency in performing the various tasks of earth moving and shaping.

Another object of the present invention is to produce an attachment for a tractor or skid steer vehicle which combines the functions of several common attachments into a single affordable and easily adaptable tool.

Another object of the invention is to produce an attachment for a tractor or skid steer vehicle which combines the functions of several common attachments for accomplishing multiple tasks into one process thereby eliminating time consuming equipment changeovers.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The above, as well as other objects of the invention have been surprisingly achieved by an attachment for a tractor or a skid steer vehicle for treating soil-like material including a frame having a front rail, a rear rail, spaced apart side rails interconnecting the front and rear rails, transporting bars attached to the side rails in spaced apart relation to one another and angled in respect of the front and rear rails to direct the material being treated toward or away from the side rails dependent upon the direction of the travel of the frame; and means for disengagably connecting the frame to a prime mover.

The attachment, according to the present invention, is adapted to be mounted on compact utility tractors and skid steer vehicles, utilizing quick attach or quick hitch systems including John Deere 4000 and 5000 series, Farmhand 222, most Massy Ferguson loaders, ACCO st series, Kubotr L48 and L4300, Ford New Holland, Case IH, and all skid steer vehicles provided with quick attach systems.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above objects and advantages of the invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from reading the following detailed description of an embodiment of the invention when considered in the light of the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of an attachment incorporating the features of the invention connected to the lifting and tilting mechanism of a tractor;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the attachment illustrated in FIG. 1 wherein the attachment is shown in an elevated and upwardly tilted position;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the attachment and associated tractor illustrated in FIG. 1 with the attachment at ground level;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the attachment and associated tractor illustrated in FIG. 3 with the attachment at an elevated position suitable for hauling bales of hay or straw;

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of the attachment and associated tractor illustrated in FIG. 1 with the attachment at a position adjacent the ground to be leveled;

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view similar to FIG. 5 wherein the assembly is being driven in the direction of the arrows to effect a distribution of the collected dirt to achieve a level surface; and

FIG. 7 is a side elevational view similar to FIG. 5 with the front of the attachment tilted upwardly for rearward movement of the assembly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the drawings, there is illustrated an attachment which may be removably attached to a prime mover, such as a utility tractor or a skid steer vehicle, for example. The versatile attachment combines the work of several common attachments into one affordable, easily adaptable tool. The attachment is suitable for knocking down or leveling piles of dirt, stone, or sand, for example, in half the time consumed by a conventional loader with an associated bucket to accomplish a similar task. The attachment, as will become readily apparent after considering the following description, accomplishes the task by pulling dirt out of a pile and spreading the dirt while moving forward or backward through the pile.

The attachment may be utilized to shape and slope the configuration of drainage ditches to facilitate the efficient flow of water therethrough. The attachment may be used advantageously to blend the uppermost edges of drainage ditches to facilitate the mowing in the vicinity of the blended region.

The attachment also enables the operator to round and shape the contours of mounds and hills of dirt. By employing the float position of the controls of the prime mover, the attachment may be caused to travel over mounds and hills of soil, for example, and effect the desired contour by either adding soil or removing soil as the attachment is being moved.

More specifically, the attachment of the invention includes a frame having a front rail 10, a rear rail 12, a pair of spaced apart side rails 14, 16, and a central member 18 equidistantly spaced from and parallel with the side rails 14, 16. Two sets of three soil removal and transporting grading bars 20, 22 are angularly disposed respectively between the side rail 14 and the central member 18, and between the side rail 16 and the central member. 18. The frame rails, the central member 18, and the grading bars 20, 22 may typically be formed of a metal stock and are adapted to be welded together at the junctions thereof. Additional reinforcing members may typically be added and suitably welded in place substantially as illustrated.

A pair of spaced apart generally upstanding mounting plates 24 is affixed to the frame by welding, for example. Brace members 26 are provided between the plates 24 and respective strengthening members 28 which are suitably affixed to the frame by welding, for example. The rear surfaces of the plates 24 are each provided with suitable brackets 30 to enable the attachment to be detachably affixed to the quick attach or quick hitch systems of an associated tractor or skid steer vehicle, generally designated by reference numeral 32. The quick attach or quick hitch system is associated with a suitable lifting mechanism which is effective to lift and rotate or tilt the attachment as illustrated in FIGS. 2, 4, 5, 6, and 7.

When the attachment is positioned adjacent the surface of the ground as illustrated in FIGS. 1, 3, 5 and 6, the attachment can be moved to level dirt, soil, sand, or stone, for example. As the attachment is caused to move over the surface to be treated, the soil removal and transporting elements knock down piles of dirt or soil, back-fill, and grade all at the same time. As the attachment is caused to traverse the area being treated, it will be caused to contact an elevated area such as a pile of soil, for example, whereupon the removal and grading bars 20, 22 force the removed soil and level it as illustrated in FIG. 6.

It will be appreciated that the attachment tends to function in a similar manner when treating other types of granular material such as stone or sand, for example. Surprisingly, the attachment functions to shave off the high areas and fills in the low area during a single pass.

Further, the present invention functions well in the process of preparing building sites for the pouring of concrete, to shape ditches, to form waterways, to treat the various configurations of golf courses, lawns, and driveways, and many others. Also, it can be seen in viewing the attachment in the position illustrated in FIG. 4, it can effectively be used to haul hay, straw, firewood, tiles, bags of seeds, and stepping stones, as well as other objects.

In operation, the attachment tends to gather material as it is moved forward and to dispense material as it is moved in an opposite direction. The angularly disposed removal and transporting grading bars 20, 22 tend to concentrate material toward the central member 18 as the prime mover 32 is caused to move forwardly, and the opposite result occurs upon the rearward or opposite motion. Hard ground may be broken up by rocking the attachment on its heel and travel in reverse as illustrated in FIG. 7.

The attachment may be formed in a number of different sizes, but lengths of 4.5 feet and widths of from 6 to 10 feet are preferred. It has been found that preferred angle of inclination of the grading bars 20, 22 from the front rail 10 is twenty four (24°) degrees in an embodiment where the length of the front rail is six (6) feet and the length of each of the grading bars 20, 22 is thirty seven and three quarters (37.75) inches. As the width of the attachment is increased, the preferable angle of inclination of the grading bars 20, 22 in respect of the front rail 10 will vary. The preferred angles of inclination for an attachment having a width of eight feet would be approximately eighteen (18°) degrees, and for a width of ten (10) feet would be approximately twelve (12°) degrees.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, the present invention has been described in what is considered to represent its preferred embodiment. However, it should be understood that the invention can be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described without departing from its spirit and scope. 

1. An attachment for treating soil-like material and for attachment to a tractor or skid steer vehicle including: a frame having a front rail, a rear rail, spaced apart side rails interconnecting the front and rear rails; transporting bars attached to the side members of said frame in spaced apart relation to one another and angled in respect of the front and rear rails of said frame, the transporting bars operative to direct the material being treated to travel toward or away from the side rails of said frame dependent upon the direction of travel of said frame; and means for disengagably connecting said frame to a tractor or skid steer vehicle.
 2. An attachment for treating soil-like material and for attachment to a tractor or skid steer vehicle wherein the tractor or skid steer vehicle includes an main body, a lift mechanism connected to the front end of the main body, and coupling means extending from the lift mechanism, said attachment comprising: a frame having a front rail, a rear rail, spaced apart side rails interconnecting the front and rear rails; transporting bars attached to the side rails of said frame in spaced apart relation to one another and angled in respect of the front and rear rails of said frame, the transporting bars operative to direct the material being treated to travel toward or away from the side rails of said frame dependent upon the direction of travel of said frame; and means for disengagably connecting said frame to the coupling means extending from the lift mechanism.
 3. The invention defined in claim 2 wherein said means for disengagably connecting said frame includes at least one upstanding mounting plate affixed to said frame.
 4. The invention defined in claim 3 wherein said means for disengagably connecting said frame includes a pair of spaced apart upstanding mounting plates.
 5. The invention defined in claim 4 wherein said means for disengagably connecting said frames further includes a bracket affixed to each of the mounting plates for connection to the coupling means extending from the lift mechanism.
 6. The invention defined in claim 2 wherein said transporting bars extend inwardly from the side rails of said frame at an angle of approximately from about 24° to about 12° from the front rail of said frame. 